Bracket for vehicle-lamps



(No Model.)

S. L. REEFY. BRACKET PoR VEHICLE LAMPS.

Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON L. REEFY, 2OF EDINB-URG, ILLINOIS.

BRACKET FOR VEHICLE-LAMPS.

SPEOIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 529,751, dated November r27', 1894. Application iiled February 17, 1894- Serial No. 500,528. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON L. REEFY, a citizen of the United States, residing atEdinburg, in the county of Christian and State `of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Brackets forVehicle-Lamps,

of which the following is such a full, clear, and

exact description as will enable thoseskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use my said invention.

The purpose of my invention is to provide means whereby a lamp of any suitable and convenient form may be connected with andy supported in any desired positionou the ve-l hicle in such manner that the lamp may oscillate freely in order to adapt itself to sud-l den shocks and changes of position to which such lamps are subject.

. Heretofore the common practice has been to affix vehicle lamps rigidly to the vehicle and it is a common experience of the users of lamps so attached to have the light extin-- guished just at the time when vit is most needed, for it is the roughest jolting in the worst places in the road that most frequently causes the extinguishment of the' light. For this reason lamps rigidly affixed to the'vehicle are very objectionable. My invention is primarily intended to obviate this objection.

With this end in View my invention coni sists of certain novel features ofconstruction and combinations of mechanism, shown in the annexed drawings and hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.l

In the drawings to which reference is hereby made Figure lis a perspective View of the complete bracket, and the means for connect- *ing the lamp with the bracket. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section throughthe vibrating arm and connected parts. Fig 3 is an enlarged detached view of the socket plate used in connectingthe bracket with an inclined side or end of the vehicle body.v Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetached View ofthe socket plate used in'connecting the bracket'with a liat side or end of the vehicle body. Fig. v5 is an enlarged detached Viewof the'socket plate used in connecting the bracket with the bow of the vehicle top.

- Similar letters indicate like parts inj all of the views.r t t The lamp A may beef any suitable form.

I prefer however to use a tubular lamp such as is shown in Fig. 1. To connect the bracket with the lamp I use the cap B, which is lsecured to the flange top A of the lamp by bolts b. The cap B has an integral block b' which is pierced by a horizontal transverse hole b2 adapted to receive the vibrating arm D. A thumb screw O serves to clamp the arm Din the hole b?.

, The arm D is pierced by a transverse hole d adapted to receive'a pivot on which the arm turns.I The weight F has a longitudinal hole f, uthrough which the arm D passes, and a thumb screwfserves to clamp the Weightin any desired position 0n the arm D. The lamp being suspended from the arm on one side of the pivotal'support and the weight being on the other side of said pivotal support, the

.weight serves to counterbalance the lamp, so

the lamp is an easy oscillating movement" which obviates the liability to extinguish the light which would existif the lamp were rigidly secured to the vehicle, and subject tothe sudden jerky motion of the vehicle.

Instead of making the counterpoise F movable on the arm D, it maybe rigidly secured to or integral with the arm D,Y and instead of movingthe weightto counterbalance the lamp, the block b to whichthe lamp is secured may be adj usted on the arm so as to counterbalance the weight.

Itis of the essence of my invention to provide means, for pivotally supporting the lamp so that it may oscillate freely and be self adjusting so as to readily adapt itself to the constantly varying movements of the vehicle andl it is immaterial whether this result is attained by moving thecounterpoise to counterbalance a fixed lamp, 0r by .moving the lamp to counterbalancea fixed counterpoise, or by making both the lamp and the counterpois'eadjustable on, the bar as I herein set forth. i Y

The angle arm E has at the outer end of its horizontal member a pivot e which supports IOO the arm D and on which the arm turns. A nut e retains the arm D in position on the pivot e. The end e2 of the vertical member of the angle arm may be either round or square and is adapted to fit into socket plates having round or square sockets as the case may be, by means of which the bracket is connected with the vehicle. The socket plates have thumb screws g5 by means of which the end e2 of the arm E may be clamped in the socket.

The form of the socket plates G and G for the inclined side or end of the vehicle body, and for the iiat sides or ends of the vehicle body are clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, respectively. The socket plates have a base provided with holes g to receive screws by which the socket plates are secured to the vehicle body.

The socket plate shown in Fig. 5 is designed to connect the bracket with one of the bows H, of the vehicle top, and in that view I have shown the socket plate in position on the bow. The socket plate consists of an elongated oval body G2 having an integral socket g parallel to said body, also having projecting flanges g2 having holes adapted to receive bolts gS which connect the segmental strap g4 with the body G2.

By reason of the lamp being pivotally supported on the vibrating arm it is not necessary to detach the lamp from the bracket when the bracket is connected with the bow of the vehicle top in order to lower the vehicle top, for it is obvious that when the top is lowered the arm D will turn on its pivot so that the lamp will always retain its vertical position irrespective of the position of the vehicle top.

In attaching the lamp to the vehicle a suitable socket plate is secured in any desired position on the vehicle body or ou the bow of the vehicle top and the end e2 of the armEis then inserted in the socket. 'lo detach the lamp the arm Eis simply removed from the socket leaving the socket plate in position for future use.

I am aware that spring counter-poises and sliding` counter poises are not in themselves new but have long been commonly used with a great variety of mechanical devices. I am also aware that a spring counterpoise has heretofore been used ou vehicle lamps, but such use of a spring counterpoise is objectionable because the vibration of the spring caused by the jolting of the vehicle imparts a sudden and jerky motion to the lamp, also because lamps of that description are not readily attachable to a bow of the vehicle top for the reason that the tension of the spring which is connected with the pivotal arm on which the lamp is supported is increased to such an extent by the rotation of the arm as to more than counterbalance the weight of the lamp thereby causing the lamp to assume a nearly horizontal position when the top is folded back. These objections are totally obviated by the use of my pivotal supported arm and the sliding counterpoise on said arm. I am also aware, that a sliding counterpoise has been used to counterbalance a boom from which an electric street lamp is suspended, for the purpose of the more convenient care of the lamp, but I am not aware that agravitating counterpoise on a pivotally supported arm has heretofore been used to counterbalance a vehicle lamp so that the lamp may oscillate freely and automatically and smoothly adapt itself to the jolts and sudden movements of the vehicle, or adapt itself to the changed position of the top when the top is folded back as already described.

Having fully explained my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a bracket for vehiclelamps, the combination of the angle arm attachable to the vehicle, the vibrating arm pivotally supported on the angle arm,the block adjustable on the vibrating arm and adapted to be connected with the lamp, and the gravitating counterpoise on the vibrating arm adapted to counterbalance the weight of thelamp, as set forth.

2. In a bracket for vehicle lamps the combination of the socket plate attachable to the vehicle the angle arm adapted to fit in the socket plate and adapted to support the vibrating arm, the vibrating arm pivotally supported on the angle arm, the cap adapted to be connected with the lamp and having a block adapted to be longitudinally adjusted on the vibrating arm, and the counterpoise adjustable on the vibrating arm, and adapted to counterbalance the weight of the lamp, as set forth. p

3. In a bracket for vehicle lamps the socket plate having an elongated oval body with au integral socket, and a segmental strap detachably connected with said body; in colnbination with an angle arm havinga vertical member adapted to fit in said socket, a vibrating arm pivotally supported ou the angle arm, the cap attachable to the lamp and adjustably connected with the vibrating arm and the adjustable counterpoise adapted to counterbalance the lamp, as set forth.

4. In a bracket for vehicle lampsacap havinga perforated block adapted Io receivoa su pporting arm and provided with bolts adapted to connect said cap with a lamp; in combination with an angle bar attachable to avehicle, a vibrating arm pivotally supported ou said angle arm and fitting in said block and a counterpoise adjustable ou said vibrating arm, as set forth and for. the purpose stated.

5. In a bracket for vehicle lamps, a socket plate attachable to the inclined side or end of'a vehicle body, consisting of a base having holes adapted to receive bolts or screws, also having a socket in an inclined positiotrrelative to said base and having a set screw adapted to clamp the angle arm in said socket; in combination with an angle arm, a vibrat- IIO arm, acap attachable to a lamp and adjustable on said vibrating arm and a counterpoise adjustable on said vibrating arm, as set forth. p

6. In a bracket for vehicle lamps, the combi- 5 nation of a socket plate, an angle arm adapted to fit in said socket plate, a vibrating arm pivotally supported on said angle arm, a

oounterpoise adapted to slide on the vibrating arm, the set screw on the eounterpoise, the

1 o cap attachable to thelamp and a block on the cap adapted to slide on'the vibrating arm, andthe set Screw on the block, asset forth and for the purpose stated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed, at Edinburg, Illinois, this 14th day 15 of February, 1894. p

, SOLOMON L. REEFY. Witnesses: v

f H. G. HALE WALKER,

GEO. A. WALKER. 

